American History: A Very Short Introduction (Paul Boyer)

As I get into my American reading list, I wanted to tackle a few overview (or 'survey') histories.  Everyone has a preference, and I like to start with the big picture and then focus on areas of particular interest.  That said, I began my survey with American History: A Very Short Introduction by Paul Boyer.  True to its name, the book races through centuries of recorded American history (from the 1400s to present) in only 138 pages.

The book is pretty good.  I hadn't read survey-style American history for 15 years, so I while I didn't learn much new, I was reminded of a great many things, which was the point.  It's difficult to achieve both brevity and depth, so I can't criticize for being too general- that's the point of a very short introduction.  Boyer mentions as many major events and personalities as he can in such a small space.  The one thing I will say- and this, fascinatingly, seems to be a challenge in many American history books- is that Boyer's bias does come through in places.  He does a good job overall of being neutral, but his preference for liberals and the liberal agenda does come out in areas.  That aside, this is a good, quick read for those who want to brush up on the basics.

Rating: B